Ysgol Bro Gwaun
Secondary school in Fishguard, Pembrokshire
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ysgol Bro Gwaun (formerly Fishguard County Secondary School) is a secondary comprehensive school in the town of Fishguard in north Pembrokeshire. It is a predominantly English-medium school with significant use of Welsh,[1] and has a catchment area covering the towns of Fishguard and Goodwick, the villages of Scleddau, Letterston and Newport and the surrounding areas including the Gwaun valley. The current Head-Teacher is Miss Alana Finn.
(Anchor wise, bright future)
| Ysgol Bro Gwaun | |
|---|---|
| |
| Location | |
 | |
Heol Dyfed Fishguard , Pembrokeshire , SA65 9DT Wales | |
| Information | |
| Type | Comprehensive school |
| Motto | Welsh: Angori doeth, dyfodol disglair (Anchor wise, bright future) |
Head teacher | Alana Finn |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Age | 11 to 17 |
| Enrolment | 601 (2024) |
| Language | English with significant Welsh |
| Website | https://ysgolbrogwaun.com/ |
The school was built in the 1960s because the old building (now demolished for Ysgol Glannau Gwaun) was too small. It was designed, like Sir Thomas Picton School, to be a cold war hospital in case of war.
The school currently has 617 pupils and 50 members of staff.
School Redevelopment
In November 2017, a £10.9 million extension (funded jointly by the Welsh Government and Pembrokeshire County Council as part of the 21st Century Schools Programme) was officially opened.[2] The extension - which involved the demolition of a significant amount of the previous building - provides new classrooms, designated provision for bilingual Special Educational Needs and new community facilities.[3]
Academic Performance
From 2011 to 2016, the school saw a large increase in the percentage of students obtaining at least 5 GCSE A*-C grades - rising from 62.4% in 2011 to 90.4% in 2016,[4] thus significantly outperforming the England and Wales average of 66.6% (2016).[5]
The school's Science results are exceptionally strong with more than 95% of students obtaining at least a C grade pass at GCSE,[4] far exceeding the Welsh national average of 75.6%.[6]
The school's most recent monitoring report from Estyn (the Welsh Education Inspectorate) in October 2016 stated the school was showing "strong progress", making "significant improvements" across the board.[7]
Competitions and Olympiads
The school regularly fields a team in the national Biology Challenge and British Biology Olympiad (both organised by the Institute of Biology), and has won at least one Gold award on an annual basis.[8][9][10]
In 2014, Head of Science and Physics teacher. Robert Woodman won the 'Teachers of Physics' award from the Institute of Physics, an annual award covering the whole of the UK.[11]
Notable former pupils
- Mark Delaney (footballer) - Academy coach at Coventry City. Former professional footballer for Cardiff City, Aston Villa and Wales national football team.[12]
- Meri Huws - Welsh Language Commissioner
- Melbourne Johns - WWII munitions factory worker whose retrieval mission to obtain crucial machinery was made into the film The Foreman Went to France
- Major Francis Jones - Historian and Wales Herald Extraordinary (1963–1993)
- Sue Jones-Davies - actress and singer
- Very Reverend Jonathan Lean - Dean of St. David's Cathedral (2009–2017)
- Josh Macleod - international Welsh Rugby Union player (Scarlets & Wales)
- Cerys Matthews - singer, radio presenter and co-founding member of Catatonia (band)[13]
- Thomas James Stretch - Army chaplain involved in the liberation of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in April 1945
- Sam Kurtz - Politician and former Conservative AM for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokshire
- Alis Deason - Professor of Physics, Durham University
Notable former staff
- David John Williams - Co-founder of Plaid Cymru and prominent Welsh-language writer was an English and PE teacher at the school 1919–1936, and Welsh Master 1937–1945.[14]
- Glenys Cour - Artist and member of The Welsh Group taught at the school in the 1940s[15]